I like to build things. Early on in our marriage, this came in handy—we insisted on buying our own home and working within the price range available to us at the time. When I got a better job, we moved into the suburbs but now that I’ve finished putting on the deck and made two nice benches for her garden, I haven’t had anything to do.

I didn’t notice at first. At first, I was relieved that I could sit around the house and relax for once. But as time went on, I realized that I couldn’t find anything worth doing. The television wasn’t worth watching and I could never get into books. My co-workers suggested I come to their poker night, and I showed up a few times and hated it.

Okay, so I moped around the house at this point, and my wife and I weren’t getting along the greatest. But one day, I suddenly realized what I had to do.